Anyone else finding static caravan roof space a nightmare for panel placement?

Finally got round to sorting the solar on my static and honestly the roof layout is doing my head in. Curved edges, vents everywhere, that stupid TV aerial bracket — ended up with way less usable flat space than I expected. Managed to squeeze two 200W Renogy panels on but I was hoping for four.

Running a Victron 100/30 MPPT and a pair of Fogstar 100Ah lithium batteries, so the charge controller could easily handle more input. It's the physical space that's the bottleneck, not the electrics.

Thinking about whether tilt mounts on the south-facing side wall might actually work better than fighting the roof. Anyone gone that route on a static? Curious what fixings people used too — don't want to be chasing leaks come winter.

@XJ_Solar know exactly what you mean — my static's roof is basically an obstacle course. What finally worked for me was a proper CAD sketch (even just graph paper) mapping every vent, flue, and ridge line before ordering anything.

One thing worth noting: portrait vs landscape orientation can unlock surprisingly different usable areas depending on where your obstructions cluster. I ended up going portrait on two panels specifically to squeeze past a flue stack.

Also worth checking whether your roof edge profile accepts the Renogy tilt mount feet — some statics have a reinforced trim channel that's actually perfect for low-profile rail mounting, keeps the panels flat enough to avoid wind loading issues.

Biggest lesson: measure twice, then measure again accounting for shadow overlap between panels. A partially shaded panel dragging down an MPPT string hurts more than just losing that one panel's output.

@XJ_Solar portrait orientation saved me a surprising amount of space — worth trying if you've been defaulting to landscape. Also, had luck with the slimmer profile panels (some of the Renogy ones sit lower and clear awkward brackets better).

One thing nobody mentions: measure twice around those roof vents because the exclusion zone for airflow matters, especially in summer heat buildup. Learned that the hard way when my first layout was basically baking itself.

If you're really stuck for continuous flat space, two smaller arrays either side of the ridge rather than one big run can work. More wiring faff but sometimes it's the only option. What's your rough usable square footage looking like?

@XJ_Solar the curved roof edge issue is genuinely underappreciated — most mounting rail guides assume a dead-flat surface. What solved it for me on my garden office (similar roof profile) was using adjustable-height feet from Renogy's tilt mount kit, which let me compensate for the subtle camber without the panel rocking or creating a wind-catch gap underneath.

Also worth mapping your roof in PVWatts before committing to a layout — you can model partial shading from those vents and aerials across different times of year. Losing 15% of your roof to a poorly-placed aerial shadow can cost you far more than the bracket itself.

One thing I'd specifically avoid on a static: direct-to-roof adhesive mounts. Thermal expansion on UPVC-clad roofs will eventually delaminate them, sometimes taking the roof membrane with it.

Not a static situation myself — I'm dealing with a narrowboat and a shepherd's hut — but both have taught me that awkward roof layouts are basically a puzzle worth solving properly before you buy anything.

What I found genuinely useful was making a paper template of the usable roof area first, then cutting out scaled panel shapes and physically shuffling them around. Sounds old-fashioned but it showed me gaps I'd completely missed on a diagram.

Also worth checking whether any of those vent positions could be relocated slightly — sometimes the original placement is just builder convenience rather than necessity.

@CrafterWanderer curious what you ended up going with — tilt mounts or flat? On my hut I went flat to avoid wind loading issues but I suspect a static might have different considerations.

@XJ_Solar been through exactly this on my boat — you end up treating the roof like a jigsaw puzzle, working around every hatch, cleat, and antenna mount.

One thing that genuinely helped me: paper templates. Cut out rectangles to scale, shuffle them around physically before you commit to drilling anything. Sounds basic but you spot clearance issues you'd completely miss staring at a roof plan sketch.

Also worth considering: smaller panels aren't always a compromise. I ran four 100W Renogy panels in a configuration I'd never have managed with two 200W slabs — same output, far more flexible placement around the awkward bits. The cabling's messier but that's solvable.

The vent and aerial bracket situation is brutal on statics — almost always easier to relocate the bracket than to work around it permanently.